Valve cover housing for internal combustion engines

Abstract

A valve cover housing for internal combustion engines. In one embodiment, the valve cover housing includes a conduit for passing a coolant fluid near the valvetrain, and in another embodiment, the housing includes an internal protuberance or other structure that promotes the dripping of oil or another lubricant onto a selected region or component of the valvetrain, such as the valve springs.

1. A valve cover housing adapted to be mounted over components of a valvetrain including valve springs of an internal combustion engine and adapted to contain a fluid lubricant that coats the valvetrain components, said valve cover housing comprising:
 a box body including an upper side, a pair of lateral sides, a pair of opposing end sides, and an open bottom, the peripheral edge of said box body along the open bottom adapted to be sealingly secured onto the engine in the region around the valvetrain components; and 
 a trough extending in said box body substantially from one end side to the other end side and sealingly joined to the inner surface of said box body, said trough possessing means for directing the lubricant substantially onto the valve springs when said box body is so sealingly secured onto the engine. 
 
     
     
       2. A valve cover housing according to  claim 1  wherein said box body further includes means for permitting a coolant fluid to pass through said trough. 
     
     
       3. A valve cover housing according to  claim 2  where said trough possesses a pair of opposing, substantially parallel, lateral edges, a substantially uniform thickness and a substantially convex shape in lateral cross-section and wherein the ratio of (1) the distance between said lateral edges of said trough to (2) the distance along the lower peripheral surface of said trough from one lateral edge to the other lateral edge is no more than about 0.80. 
     
     
       4. A valve cover housing according to  claim 3  wherein said ratio is in the range of about 0.75 to 0.25. 
     
     
       5. A valve cover housing according to  claim 2  further including means for creating turbulence in the coolant fluid as the coolant fluid passes through said trough. 
     
     
       6. A valve cover housing according to  claim 1  wherein said box body further includes means for attaching breather hoses to said box body whereby said breather hoses are disposed in fluid communication with the interior of said box body and with said fluid lubricant when said box body is so sealingly secured onto the engine and said box body further includes a closure adapted to permit the pouring of the lubricant into the interior of said box body and onto the valvetrain components when said box body is so sealingly secured onto the engine. 
     
     
       7. A valve cover housing according to  claim 1  wherein lubricant directing means includes a substantially “V”-shaped exterior surface in said trough, which “V”-shaped exterior surface extends substantially the entire length of said trough from one end side to the other end side of said box body. 
     
     
       8. A valve cover housing according to  claim 7  where said trough possesses a pair of opposing, substantially parallel, lateral edges, a substantially uniform thickness and a substantially “V”-shaped lateral cross-section and wherein the ratio of (1) the distance between said lateral edges of said trough to (2) the distance along the lower peripheral surface of said trough from one lateral edge to the other lateral edge is no more than about 0.80. 
     
     
       9. A valve cover housing according to  claim 8  wherein said ratio is in the range of about 0.75 to 0.25. 
     
     
       10. A valve cover housing according to  claim 1  wherein said upper side includes a removable panel adapted to permit access to said trough. 
     
     
       11. A valve cover housing according to  claim 1  wherein said trough possesses a pattern of surface irregularities to provide a greater surface area for heat transfer. 
     
     
       12. A valve cover adapted to be mounted over components of a valvetrain of an internal combustion engine and adapted to contain a fluid lubricant that coats the valvetrain components, said valve cover comprising:
 an elongate body including an open side having a peripheral edge adapted to be sealingly secured onto the engine in the region around the valvetrain components; and 
 a partition extending substantially along the length of and within said elongate body and sealingly joined to the surface of said elongate body whereby said panel segregates the interior of said elongate body into an upper cavity and a lower cavity, said upper cavity adapted to receive and transmit a coolant fluid, said lower cavity adapted to receive the lubricant, both the upper surface and the lower surface of said partition being substantially convex whereby said partition provides a relatively large surface area adapted to be exposed to the coolant fluid and a relatively large surface area adapted to be exposed to the lubricant and whereby heat from the lubricant is relatively effectively transmitted through said partition to the coolant fluid. 
 
     
     
       13. A valve cover housing according to  claim 12  wherein said partition lower surface possesses a substantially convex shape in lateral cross-section and wherein the ratio of (1) the lateral width of said partition outer surface to (2) the maximum depth of the convexity of said partition outer surface is no more than about 3.0. 
     
     
       14. A valve cover housing according to  claim 13  wherein said ratio is in the range of about 1.5 to 2.5. 
     
     
       15. A valve cover housing according to  claim 12  wherein both the inner surface and the outer surface of said partition are substantially convex, but substantially non-circular. 
     
     
       16. A valve cover housing according to  claim 12  wherein said partition possesses a pattern of surface irregularities to provide a greater surface area for heat transfer. 
     
     
       17. A valve cover housing according to  claim 12  further including means for creating turbulence in the coolant fluid as the coolant fluid passes through said partition. 
     
     
       18. A valve cover housing adapted to be mounted over valvetrain components of an internal combustion engine and adapted to contain a fluid lubricant that coats the valvetrain components, said valve cover housing comprising:
 an elongate, substantially hollow casing adapted to be sealingly secured onto the engine in region around the valvetrain components; and 
 a conduit disposed within said elongate, substantially hollow casing and adapted to receive and transmit a coolant fluid, said conduit possessing means for directing the lubricant substantially onto selected valvetrain components when said elongate, substantially hollow casing is so sealingly secured onto the engine. 
 
     
     
       19. A valve cover housing according to  claim 18  wherein said conduit extends substantially from one elongate end to the other elongate end of said elongate, substantially hollow casing. 
     
     
       20. A valve cover housing according to  claim 19  wherein said conduit provides a substantially straight pathway for transmitting the coolant fluid. 
     
     
       21. A valve cover housing according to  claim 19  wherein said conduit provides a substantially serpentine pathway for transmitting the coolant fluid. 
     
     
       22. A valve cover housing according to  claim 18  wherein said conduit possesses a pattern of surface irregularities to provide a greater surface area for heat transfer. 
     
     
       23. A valve cover housing according to  claim 18  further including means for creating turbulence in the coolant fluid as the coolant fluid passes through said conduit. 
     
     
       24. A method of reducing the temperature of a selected region of an internal combustion engine containing valvetrain components, said method comprising:
 obtaining an elongate, substantially hollow covering including a conduit adapted to receive and transmit a coolant fluid and including means for directing a lubricant substantially onto said selected region; 
 installing said covering onto said engine such that said covering completely, sealingly surrounds said selected region; 
 introducing the lubricant into said selected region; 
 operating said engine; and 
 transmitting coolant fluid through said conduit. 
 
     
     
       25. A method of reducing the temperature of a selected region of an internal combustion engine containing valvetrain components, said method comprising:
 obtaining an elongate, substantially hollow covering including a conduit adapted to receive and transmit a coolant fluid and possessing an exterior surface adapted to contact a lubricant that coats said components, said exterior surface possessing a bulge; 
 installing said covering onto said engine such that said covering completely surrounds said selected region and such that said exterior surface bulge is oriented above said selected region; 
 introducing the lubricant into said selected region; and 
 transmitting coolant fluid through said conduit. 
 
     
     
       26. A method of reducing the temperature of a selected region of an internal combustion engine containing valvetrain components, said method comprising:
 obtaining an elongate, substantially hollow covering possessing a cavity and possessing means for directing a lubricant splattered within the cavity substantially onto said selected region; 
 installing said covering onto said engine such that said covering completely surrounds said region; 
 introducing the lubricant into said cavity; and 
 splattering the lubricant in said cavity whereby said splattered lubricant is directed by said lubricant directing means onto said selected region.